The Unknown McCloud
by ArtemisHntr
Summary: Drexel McCloud is Fox's long-lost brother, and a childhood friend of Krystal's. Believed to be dead, the three find each other once more. However, a bully from Drexel and Krystal's home becomes much more than just a bully... FoxXKrystalXOC Rated M for mild language and possible smut/suggestive themes. Romance/Drama/Backstory/Action-Adventure.
1. Prologue: Focus!

(Author's Note: I haven't made a story in a long time, and it's hard for me to write this particular story without thinking I'm making the male protagonist a Marty Stu. So just bear with me on this, and try not to flame me too much. The timeline will follow the Arwingpedia timeline, though will stop after Assault)

Prologue

[Invaded Cornerian Freelancer Base, Frostbite Canyon, Planet Fichina, 10 ALW (After Lylat Wars)]

"Krystal! Krystal! There's a bogey on your tail!"

Krystal snapped out of her trance at the sound of the transmission and the shots being fired at her Cloud Runner. "Huh? Wha?" she gasped before performing a loop and blasting the enemies that was on her tail. "Focus, Krystal!" Fox said sternly, "We're on a mission here!" Falco's voice came through on the radio. "Geez, Krystal, you're getting worse than Slippy when it comes to being tailed," he sneered. "Shut it, you," Krystal growled. Sometimes she couldn't stand Falco's flippant attitude, and wondered why Fox kept him on the team. Preferring not to cause an argument, she instead took her anger out on the scoundrels that were invading the Fichina base. "Krystal, you ok? You've been staring into space a lot lately…" Fox asked, concerned for her safety, "I'm fine, Fox!" Krystal yelled into the radio, which made Fox flinch. "Ok, ok, sorry," he stammered. "Damn, Krystal, is it that time of the month?" Falco quipped, but then he cried out as Krystal shot at his Arwing. Even Falco knew that when Krystal was shooting at her own teammates, it was best to shut up before you found yourself needing repairs due to friendly fire.

Once the scoundrels were defeated, Fox ordered the team to go back to the Great Fox, "And Krystal," Fox told her, "We need to talk." Krystal gulped, having calmed down, "S-Sorry, Fox…" she stuttered. Fox set the comlink so only he and Krystal could hear "Now, I'm not saying Falco needs a good shot to the ship for his mouth," he began, "But when you start firing on your own teammates every single mission, the rest of us get kind of nervous. Also, you've been zoning out a lot during missions. Are you sure you're ok? I'm speaking as both a leader and a mate, here." Krystal's heart jumped at the sound of the word "mate" "If there's anything you need to talk to me about, just say the word, and I'll listen," Fox assured her. "I-I'm fine…" she said, but thought, **"There's no way I can talk to him about this…"** "Alright…I'll contact the General once we get to the Great Fox." Fox informed her. "Uhm…F-Fox, if I may, might I, uhm, check to see if everyone in the base is ok…?" Krystal requested. "The General's already done a headcount. Everyone's ok…" Fox began, but remembered that Krystal had been asking General Hare about news of a certain Freelancer, but both of them had been cryptic about the identity of the soldier, "…and that person you keep asking the General about isn't in the base." "Oh…" she sighed, "A-Alright. I'm ready." Krystal flew off towards the Great Fox, while Fox stayed behind. **"Is this particular Freelancer a friend of hers…? Someone from her home planet…? And why won't Peppy tell me who she's looking for…?"** he wondered, surprised that Peppy, who had watched over him since the disappearance of his father, would keep a secret from him that he felt was this important. Fox sighed, concluding that Peppy has his reasons, and flew off towards the Great Fox for the debriefing.

[Later that night]

Krystal opened her closet and saw her old outfit from when she was a priestess on Cerinia. She stared at it for a while before bending over next to it and pulling out a small tag that would clip onto the collar. The tag said "Owned by D. R. McCloud". She closed her eyes and sobbed briefly before getting a call on her personal com-link. "Incoming message from General Peppy Hare," the com-link computer said. Krystal stuffed the tag into the box and closed the closet before allowing the call to go through.

"Hi there, Krystal," came the soothing voice of the old rabbit. Krystal couldn't help but let out a small smile. She could easily see why Fox considered Peppy a father figure, as he always acted like a father to those he knew, especially Fox and Krystal. "Greetings, General," she greeted him. Peppy chuckled, "Please, Krystal, this isn't a formal call, just call me Peppy." Krystal nodded and chuckled herself. "Alright," she said. "Fox tells me you've been losing your focus frequently," Peppy said, now serious. Krystal's eyes widened. "Please don't kick me off the team," she pleaded, but Peppy shook his head. "No, Krystal, neither me nor Fox have any intentions of removing you from the Star Fox team," he assured her, "I just want to ask you…are you thinking about Drexel?" Krystal remained silent, before eventually nodding. "I…I just don't want to talk to Fox about it…" she said softly, "I don't want him to think I'm unfaithful…but…he reminds me so much of his brother…" "I know, dear," Peppy replied softly, "Do you want to tell me the story of how you two got so close…?" Krystal nodded, and added, "But…I can't remember when I first met him…" "Oh I can tell you that," Peppy remarked, chuckling, before beginning his part of the story…

(Author's Note: I'll release this and the first chapter at the same time, but updates may vary. Feel free to leave a review, but remember that I'm rusty at making actual stories, so keep that in mind when revving up the flamethrowers)


	2. Chapter 1: Refuge in Cerinia

(Author's Note: This will be published alongside the Prologue. However, updates will not be frequent. My intention is not for any character to be a Mary Sue/Marty Stu. Everything featured in the official Star Fox games is © Nintendo/Rare/Namco)

[Sapphire District, Planet Cerinia, 8 BLW (Before Lylat Wars)]

Peppy felt sorry for the young fox kit that he was currently flying out of the Lylat System. Before he even had his first birthday, his father had disappeared due to a betrayal, and shortly thereafter, his mother died of a broken heart. Peppy took the two under his wing, but Fox was always so wrapped up in learning what he needed to follow in his father's footsteps that the hare was the only one that paid Drexel any attention. And then, almost 3 years later, a lone Aparoid took out an entire Cornerian fleet. This worried Peppy, and made him fear that the 4-year-old kit was in danger, and thus he immediately arranged for Marcus, the Chieftain of Cerinia, and a long-time friend of the McClouds, to house the young fox where he was sure that neither Andross, nor the Aparoids, nor any galactic threat would attack.

Peppy was removed from his thoughts when Drexel tugged at his sleeve. "Uncle Peppy…" he sobbed, "I'm hungry…and I'm tired…and I just wanna go home…" "Don't worry, Drexy…" Peppy assured him, "You're going to a new home, where you'll be safe…" Drexel sobbed and shook his head. "But what if Mr. Marcus is mean?" he asked, scared, "What if he yells at me when I mess up?" "He won't, Drexy…don't worry…" Peppy assured him once more, and then noticed the blue planet in the ship's window, "We're almost there, Drexy, sit down and buckle up." Drexel did what he was told and tried not to scream as he saw the air around the ship burn up as they entered the atmosphere. He screwed his eyes shut, and tried to keep from calling out for his mother until Peppy said, "Ok, Drexel, you can calm down, we've landed."

Drexel opened his eyes and looked out of the window at the town they were in. He had assumed that it would be one of those tribal villages that the pre-school tapes told him about, so was surprised to find that, though it wasn't as technologically advanced as Corneria at first glance, the planet had actually managed to make technology and nature co-exist peacefully. The town they were in had lush green trees throughout the landscape, and simple houses, yet there were multiple spacecraft flying in and out from underground hangars and merchants using state-of-the-art devices to calculate stock and prices. There was even what appeared to be a temple in the middle of the town, with markings that resembled ancient-looking faces and writing in a language he couldn't understand. Peppy pulled out a container from the storage compartment of the ship, and found a tablet that had writing in the same language as the writings on the temple. "Take this, Drexel, this'll help you understand the locals," Peppy explained, but Drexel recoiled, averse to pills and tablets. Peppy sighed at the recoil, and said, "Well, if you don't want the tablet, we can always use the needle…" Drexel immediately grabbed the tablet and stuffed it in his mouth, shaking his head, in a way that clearly says he'd prefer the tablet. He swallowed the tablet and coughed as his throat, eyes and ears burned for several seconds, but when he looked out at the temple again, he saw that the writings had somehow translated themselves into his native tongue. However, even with the language pill, he still couldn't understand what the writings were talking about, only that they mentioned something called Krazoa.

Just as he was about to ask Peppy what a Krazoa was, a small voice piped up from outside the ship, "The Krazoa Spirits are the spirits that guide us in times of war, in times of peace, and in times of trials and tribulations." Drexel looked over to see a young blue fox kit, around his age, who giggled at his surprised look. "I can read minds," the kit explained, "And I'm training to become the next priestess." Peppy led Drexel off the ship, where he met an adult male blue fox, immediately shying away from him. "You must be Drexel," the man said softly. Drexel nodded, and was surprised when the man offered a hand for him to shake. "I am Marcus, the Chieftain of Cerinia," the man introduced himself, and then turned to the young fox kit. "And this is my daughter, Krystal." His smile disappeared, and he sighed sadly. "Your father was a good man, Drexel…" Marcus reminisced, causing tears to well up in Drexel's eyes. "Sir, Drexel…well, he's still grieving his parents…" Peppy said sadly, and Marcus nodded. "I see…well, I'm glad you brought him here, Peppy. Cerinia is just outside the Lylat System, out of any tyrant or invading forces' radar. He'll be perfectly safe here," he reassured the hare. "I'm glad to hear that, Chieftain. Now, I must be going. My wife's currently looking after his brother, and I must get back before he causes her any trouble." Peppy gave Drexel a hug and said, "Now, you listen to Marcus, ok? He'll be the one taking care of you while you're here." Drexel nodded, but still tried to get on the ship with Peppy when he began to leave. Unfortunately, by the time he got to the door of the ship, it was locked, and all he could do was stand and watch yet another person who cared for him leave him.

"Ok, now I remember," Krystal said after Peppy finished his part of the story, and began to tell him what happened after he left.

"**Sheesh, what a baby,"** Krystal thought, as she rolled her eyes at Drexel. "Krystal," Marcus scolded her, "He's lost both his parents, and he's on a planet where he doesn't know anyone. Have some compassion." "Yes, Father," Krystal whimpered, already regretting thinking about the kit that way. "Good, now I want you two to get along, as he'll be staying with us for a long time," he ordered, and took Drexel's hand, "Let's go home. I'm sure you're hungry, and you want to settle in before you start learning about our planet."

(Author's note: And that's the first chapter. Feel free to read and review)


	3. Chapter 2: War and Conflict

[Classroom, Krazoa Temple, Sapphire District, 0 BLW]

"Now, before end our session for today, who can tell me what we learned?" Sapphire asked the class. Sapphire was the current priestess and Krystal's mother, and was about to finish teaching for the day. Drexel raised his hand, nervously. "Yes, Drexel dear, can you tell us what we learned?" the vixen asked him. The 11-year-old fox kit nervously stood up and cleared his throat, before beginning. "We learned about the role of the Krazoa spirits in our daily lives," he recited, "We learned that the Krazoa provide guidance for our lives, whether we're aware of it or not. When we come across an event that changes our lives, it could be that the Krazoa guided us to that point, and if we're in danger, the Krazoa guides us to safety. In order to thank the Krazoa for their protection, the Cerinians have built temples all over the planet so we can ask for help, or learn about them." "Very good, Drexel," Sapphire exclaimed happily, and clapped, along with a few of the other students. However, Drexel, who was beginning to develop telepathy due to being introduced to the planet's influence at such a young age, could tell that some of the other kids thought of him as a know-it-all, a teacher's pet, or in the case of a black wolf cub, an outsider. This caused Drexel to become even more timid, and when Sapphire dismissed the class, asking Krystal to remain for her training, Drexel was the first to leave the classroom.

Unfortunately, the black wolf cub managed to catch up to him and block his path with a couple of his goons. "What's the rush, outsider?" the wolf snarled at him. "L-Look, I don't want any trouble, Donel," Drexel stammered, backing away from him. "If you didn't want any trouble, you shouldn't have come here," Donel growled, and motioned for his goons to pin him to the wall, "You're an outsider. An outsider, and an orphan. No-one cares about you, McCloud. Your brother wouldn't give you the time of day. Your father's friend dumped you here so you can be out of his fur. I don't care what the chieftain or the priestess says, you're not welcome here." He smirked and approached Drexel, who was struggling to break free of the goons. "And I'm about to show you what happens when you're not welcome here," Donel sneered, and curled his hands into fists. Before he can throw a punch, however, Krystal ran out of the classroom. "Donel, cut it out!" she yelled at him. Donel saw Krystal and grinned. "Oh hey, Krystal, you're just in time to witness just how tough I am," he said, giving a wink at Krystal, who rolled her eyes. "Picking on people weaker than you isn't tough. It just proves you can't handle yourself against a real fight," she pointed out, which caused the wolf's grin to drop. "Alright, then," he said and began to advance on Krystal, "How about you show me a real fight?" Krystal backed away, but remained calm. "You know I won't fight you. It's not worth getting in trouble over you," she said, which caused Donel to get angrier. "Fine, then," he snarled at Krystal, "How about I show you what happens to traitors who help outsiders."

"NO!" Drexel suddenly shouted, and took advantage of the goons' surprise to throw them off him and tackle Donel, "I WON'T LET YOU HURT KRYSTAL!" "Drexel!" Krystal shouted, surprised as Drexel starts punching Donel, "Drexel, stop! It's not worth getting in trouble!" Donel growled and threw Drexel against the wall. "That's it, outsider," he snarled, "You're about to regret that." Donel charged at Drexel, and was about to punch him in the face when Drexel clamped his teeth around his fist. "AAAAHHHH!" he screamed and tried to shake Drexel off of him, but he refused to let go and instead grabbed Donel's neck and squeezed hard, letting go of the fist. "Don't ever threaten Krystal like that again!" he barked at the wolf, "You can threaten me all you want, but you'll never harm a strand of Krystal's fur while I'm around!" "DREXEL REYNARD MCCLOUD!" rang a stern voice from the classroom, causing Drexel to let go of Donel, who began to pant and rub his throat. "What is the meaning of this?" Sapphire demanded, a look of anger on her face. "L-L-Lady Sapphire!" Drexel stammered, backing away from Donel, "He…he threatened to-" "I know what he did, Drexel," she replied, "I can read minds. But that still doesn't give you the right to fight him! You should've told Krystal to come get me if he was threatening both of you." Donel smirked as Drexel was being scolded. "Oh, and don't think I've forgotten you, Donel," Sapphire suddenly said, "Drexel is not an outsider, he is part of my family as far as I am concerned. Both of you get back in this room, you both have detention!" Drexel gulped. He had never seen Sapphire this mad at him, and he instantly regretted attacking Donel. Donel merely grumbled and got up before making an "I'm watching you" motion towards Drexel and walked inside of the classroom, going to one of the isolation rooms used for detention. Drexel walked into another of the rooms, but was surprised to see Krystal coming in with him. "Mom wanted me to keep you company," she explained in a hushed voice so Donel wouldn't hear in the other room, "She said you can come out before Donel since he started it." Drexel nodded, and Krystal could see that he had tears in his eyes. "I shouldn't have attacked him…" he said, "but I didn't want him to harm you…" To his surprise he saw Krystal wrap an arm around him and cuddle him. "That was very brave of you, Drexel…" she said softly. He smiled and cuddled her back, happy that Krystal was with him.

However, their time alone was interrupted when an alarm suddenly rang out throughout the town. "Cerinia is under an Invasion Watch! I repeat, Cerinia is under an Invasion Watch! Everyone please go back to your homes and remain calm!" Drexel looked around. "An Invasion Watch?" he asked, confused. Suddenly Sapphire opened the door to the detention room. "Krystal, Drexel, get to your room," she ordered. She appeared scared. "What's going on, Mom?" Krystal asked. "Andross has declared war on the Lylat System, and we need to make sure he won't attack us," Sapphire explained, and Drexel immediately grabbed Krystal's hand and ran for their room, the name Andross scaring him more than Donel ever could.

[Drexel and Krystal's room]

Drexel and Krystal sat in the living area of their room, watching the news as it showed what was happening in the Lylat System. Drexel trembled as he saw the Cornerian army being decimated by Andross's forces, but then he saw a familiar-looking ship. He recognized it as the ship that Peppy told him about when he was in the Star Fox team: The Great Fox. His heart lifted when he saw his brother and Peppy on the ship, heading towards Venom to combat Andross. There were two others on the ship, but he didn't recognize them. "Yes!" he shouted excitedly. "What? Is that good?" Krystal inquired. "It's great!" Drexel exclaimed, "That's my brother! That's Uncle Peppy! Fox must've gotten Star Fox back together!" Krystal looked at the TV and recognized the hare as the one who had brought him to Cerinia, and noticed an older fox who bore a striking resemblance to Drexel. Krystal still had doubts, though. "You sure a team of 4 people is gonna defeat Andross?" she asked, worried, "The Cornerian Army didn't do so well…" "Oh, if my brother's anything like Uncle Peppy said my dad was like," he assured her, "Andross doesn't stand a chance!"

Soon the excitement Drexel felt for the Star Fox team grew amongst those around Cerinia watching the team's progress, as they overcame every obstacle that Andross threw at them, and even managed to breach the final line of defense. But the excitement then turned into suspense when Fox went into the base in Venom, but no-one could see what was going on, as the footage was being shot from the Great Fox. The planet had become quieter than ever before, then erupted into cheers when the base began to explode. Drexel jumped up, shouting, "FOX!" looking around for some sign of his brother's Arwing. When it came, however, Drexel thought the tears were obscuring his vision, because he saw two Arwings leave the base, before one of the Arwings disappeared. The other Arwing was confirmed to be Fox…but who was that other Arwing…? For a split second, Drexel thought that his dad had guided Fox out of the base in the nick of time, but dismissed that theory, as even the Krazoa Spirits couldn't resurrect the dead…but in the back of his mind, he could still swear that he saw his father once more…

"I have just received word from Corneria that Andross has been defeated! The Invasion Watch has been lifted! You may now return to your normal duties!" Marcus' voice spoke through the loudspeakers in the town. For days, everyone talked about the prowess of the Star Fox team, and some of Drexel's classmates even stopped thinking poorly of him when they found out that the leader of the team was his brother, though Drexel never boasted about it. The only one who didn't treat Drexel any better was Donel, in fact, he treated him worse because the wolf thought Wolf O'Donnell of the Star Wolf team was more worthy of respect than any McCloud, and took the anger he had at the Star Wolf team's defeat out on Drexel, who tried not to fight back anymore. Unfortunately, Drexel was still consumed with rage whenever Donel threatened Krystal, but luckily, more of their classmates began to defend Drexel and Krystal before he ended up fighting Donel again.

[Later that night]

Drexel was lying on his bed, which was next to Krystal's, unable to sleep. Krystal sensed his inability to sleep and looked over at him. "Drexel?" she asked him, "Is something wrong…?" "Krystal…" he replied quietly, "Can I give you a scenario?" "Sure, Drexel," Krystal yawned, "What is it?" "Well, let's say, many years from now, my brother comes to Cerinia, and you found yourself attracted to both me and him…" Drexel said nervously, "Who would you choose as your mate?" Krystal looked at him and giggled, "You do realize we can have more than one mate, right?" "Well, yeah," Drexel stammered, "b-but what if we went to a planet where you could only have one mate. Who'd you choose?" "Well, if he's anything like you, I'd rather have both…" she replied, "But to be honest, even if I was attracted to him, I don't think he'd share the same feelings. I mean, he's 7 years older than me, isn't that…well, wrong on Corneria?" Drexel shrugs "Depends on the age…" he says softly, "Well, good night…" "Drexel, I know what you're thinking, and trust me, I'm not going to prefer your brother over you," Krystal assured him, "Good night." Drexel smiled a bit and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 3: Sauria and Sargasso

[Thorntail Hollow, Sauria, 6 ALW]

Krystal and Drexel were lying in Thorntail Hollow, Krystal having officially become the priestess, and Drexel appointed her bodyguard, much to the dismay of Donel. Krystal was to go to the Krazoa Temple on Sauria, accompanied by Drexel, to receive the blessing of the Krazoa, and having completed that, the two felt that they could spend some time watching the citizens of the planet. Krystal pointed to the sky as a Cloudrunner flew by. "Oh, look Drexel!" Krystal shouted, and Drexel looked up to see the dinosaur soaring gracefully through the sky. "Yeah, it's a Cloudrunner," he said, chuckling, "Isn't that your favorite species here?" Krystal nodded and said, "Of course, their majestic wings and the grace with which they soar through the sky make them my favorite." She rolled over onto her side to face Drexel, and asked "What's your favorite species?" Drexel watched a passing Earthwalker for a second before replying, "I like the Earthwalkers." "Really?" Krystal chuckled, "I thought the Earthwalkers and Cloudrunners didn't exactly get along." "So?" he replied, "I like the Earthwalkers 'cause they remind me of you." Krystal smacked him lightly with her staff, and said, "Oh, so you think I'm big, huh Drexel McCloud?" "No, no, nothing like that!" he stammered hurriedly, "I mean that they're gentle and wise, but when they're threatened, they can easily defend themselves." He rubbed the spot where Krystal hit him and continued, "As I've witnessed." He chuckled and saw Krystal suddenly lost in thought, looking up at the sky. "Uhm…you ok, Krystal?" he asked her. "I'm…I'm fine…" she said quietly. Drexel frowned and tried to read her thoughts, only to find that she was blocking her mind from any telepathic influence. This worried Drexel, and even more so when she suddenly got up and said, "Let's go home, Drexel…" "W…Was it something I said?" he asked nervously, worried that he may have offended her. "No…no, it wasn't anything you said," she replied hesitantly, which did nothing to reassure the young male fox. "Uhm…ok…" he said nervously and got up, leading her back to the ship.

Once they were both inside, Drexel activated the auto-pilot to head back to Cerinia, and looked at Krystal, who was looking away from him. He couldn't help but stare at her body, how the priestess armor with the guards, bra, and loincloth had a mystical effect that made her radiate with beauty in his eyes. He had a crush on Krystal, but was afraid to tell her. Suddenly, a horrible thought struck him. **"No…"** he thought to himself fearfully, **"What…what if she read my mind and doesn't share the same feelings as me…?"** He knew that Krystal wouldn't want him to keep such a thing from her, so he decided that, whether or not she already knows, he'd best tell her now. "Krystal…I…" he began, but suddenly noticed that the autopilot had flown them past the landing spot he thought was in the computer. "S…Something's wrong," he announced, which snapped Krystal out of her trance. "What…what's wrong?" she asked. "The autopilot coordinates seemed to have been changed," he declared, "It's taking us to…the Sargasso Sector…?" Krystal gasped. The Sargasso Sector was a very dangerous area, as it crawled with everything from scoundrels to highwaymen to slavers, and anyone who went down was advised to do so with caution, lest they find themselves captured, dead, or put on an auction block. Why was the ship taking them there…? Drexel grew horrified as the ship landed near a podium, which was where slavers would sell captives. As soon as the craft landed, Krystal was pulled from the ship, and Drexel immediately got out after her. "What's going on here?" he yelled as two Sharpclaws held the struggling vixen. The Sharpclaws ignored him and began to look over Krystal. "What is this…?" one of them said with a tone of interest, "This girl wears the priestess garb…" "The priestess, huh…?" the other one said, with irritation in his voice, "Then we're being ripped off…Mr. Donel only offered 10,000 credits for her…a priestess is easily worth twice that." "WHAT?" Krystal yelled, and struggled harder, "DONEL IS…MMPH!" "Quiet you!" the first Sharpclaw said as he stuck a piece of duct tape over her mouth while the other one put a hole through her priestess collar, holding what appeared to be dog tags with the words "Owned by " on them. Suddenly Drexel spoke up. "Let her go, right now!" he demanded. The Sharpclaws looked over at him, and the four were suddenly quiet. Sharpclaw #2 walked up to Drexel. "Ah, it seems you have an interest in the fine lady…what makes you think we'll let her go so easily?" he sneered. Drexel thought quickly, "If…if you give her to me…I'll…I'll pay you double what Donel's paying you!" A loud shout came from Krystal, who looked at Drexel with wide eyes. For years, Drexel had been saving up for a trip back to his birth home of Corneria, and Krystal didn't want him to lose that chance because of her. Drexel looked at her, knowing immediately what she was thinking without having to read her mind. "I'd rather stay here on Cerinia than leave with the knowledge that you'd be controlled by that mangy wolf," he declared, and pulled out his card in which he kept his credits. The second Sharpclaw grinned and pulled out a makeshift card scanner, which Drexel swept his card through without hesitation, and once the transaction was complete, the Sharpclaw took the dog tags and used his claws to engrave "D R McCloud" on them before placing them through the hole pierced in the collar. The first Sharpclaw then yanked the tape off of Krystal and then threw her into Drexel's arms before the two of them left, laughing about how they made a profit.

Drexel helped Krystal onto the ship and set the autopilot coordinates for the temple, and then tried to remove the dog tags that made Krystal a slave. Suddenly Krystal grabbed his hands. "Drexel…please don't…" she said. "But…you're a slave…what will your parents think?" he asked, surprised. Krystal looked into his eyes. "I'll just tell them that I'd be your slave any day," she said quietly, "I…I love you…Master." Drexel sat there for a moment, then suddenly embraced Krystal, tears in his eyes. "I love you too, Krystal…" he sobbed, and the two held the embrace for what seemed like an eternity.

"Krystal! Drexel!" Marcus shouted from outside the ship, "What happened? We saw your ship go to the Sargasso Sector!" Krystal and Drexel snapped out of it and left the ship. Sapphire gasped at the dog tags on Krystal's collar, and Marcus growled, and grabbed Drexel, "What is the meaning of this, McCloud?" he demanded, "We let you in our home, take care of you when your parents can't, and this is the thanks you give us?" "Father, no!" Krystal shouted, "He didn't intend to!" "My slave's right, Marcus," a low voice sneered. Marcus whipped around to see Donel smirking, "You see, Chieftain," he explained, "I wanted Krystal to be mine, but she always rejected my advances… so, I had the ship go to the Sargasso Sector so the Sharpclaws there would prep her for my purchase…though why aren't they here…?" "Because I bought her first, Donel," Drexel snapped at him, "I paid double what you were offering them." Donel's smirk turned into a snarl. "You orphaned outsider piece of shit!" he roared and was about to tackle Drexel when suddenly all 3 of the blue foxes grabbed the wolf. "Donel!" Marcus growled, "I should've known you weren't to be trusted! I shouldn't have made you captain of the guard!" he yelled to the nearby guards "Throw this criminal in the dungeon for attempting to steal my daughter away from me!" Donel growled as the guards held him in a vice grip and dragged him away. "You'll pay for this outsider!" he vowed. Drexel backed away and looked at Marcus, now afraid that his surrogate father will turn on him once more. "Drexel…" he said instead, "Thank you for protecting my daughter…and…if there's anyone I'd rather have as her master…which I can't say I've thought about before today…I'd rather it be you." Sapphire smiled as Krystal laid her head on Drexel's chest. "Th-Thank you, sir," he said, wrapping an arm around Krystal.

(A/N: Sorry if it was unfulfilling, I've kinda had a rough day today, so my story-writing skills are even worse than usual. Remember, try not to flame me too bad.)


	5. Chapter 4: End of Cerinia

[Sapphire District, Planet Cerinia, 8 ALW]

Drexel was standing on the balcony of the temple, staring into the sky. He could barely sleep the night before, but didn't know why. All he knew was that he had a sense of dread in his heart. **"Something's going to happen to this planet…"** he thought to himself, **"But what?"** "What do you mean, Master…?" came a soft voice behind him. Drexel turned around to see Krystal yawning and rubbing her eyes, having just woken up from a nap. "I don't know, Krystal…" he replied, "I just feel like…something bad is approaching…" Krystal shook her head and gave a small chuckle, "Master, there's no way anyone would know about us. We're too far away from the rest of the system…" she tried to reassure him without letting him know that she had that same sense of dread, not helped by her having a nightmare where Cerinia was suddenly destroyed, taking everything she knew and loved away from her. "I know, Krys…" he said, then turned back to the sky, "But something…just…" He gasped as fighters and battleships suddenly filled the sky, recognizing them as the forces that attempted to invade Lylat 8 years before…

"People of Cerinia," a deep voice boomed over the planet, causing everyone to suddenly stop what they're doing and look up at the sky, "I am Andross, the great scientist, and soon-to-be ruler of the Lylat System. I come with an ultimatum. Give me the one they call Drexel McCloud, so I can prevent the Star Fox team from interfering with my plans. Refuse…and your planet shall be no more…I will give you but 2 hours to make your decision…" **"Attention, Cerinia!"** came a telepathic announcement from Marcus, **"This is an Invasion Warning! All people must evacuate the planet! I repeat, everyone evacuate the planet, this is not a drill!"** Suddenly Andross laughed as though he heard the announcement. "Fool!" he roared, "I have disabled all of your spacecraft! Your decision has been made! In 2 hours, your planet shall be destroyed!" Drexel suddenly grabbed Krystal's hand and ran for the temple hangar. "I just remembered that there's a ship that was protected against this sort of thing," he explained, "The Cloud Runner, and another ship." Once they reached the hanger, he grabbed Krystal's shoulders. "Krystal," he demanded sternly, "Take the Cloud Runner, and I'll try to get to the other ship. I can't remember if that one's protected or not." "But…but Master…" Krystal protested, "I'm not leaving without you!" "KRYSTAL!" he shouted at her, scaring her, "You're a big girl! You need to stop being so dependent on me! I'll try to catch up with you, and maybe I'll see you again. Until then…" he grabbed the dog tags on her collar and yanked them off, handing them to her, "You're free. You're free to do whatever you want or need to in order to survive…" Krystal looked at the dog tags, then back up at Drexel. "Krystal, this is my first, and possibly last order…" he said. She nodded. "Don't you die on me, Master…" she sobbed, and the two shared one final embrace before she boarded the Cloud Runner and left the hanger.

Drexel headed towards the other ship in the hangar to follow her, only to find a pair of hands grasping his throat. "Oh, no you don't, McCloud…" came the snarling voice of Donel, "It's because of you that my planet is dying…It's because of you that Andross has found us…It's all your fault, and you're going to die with the civilization you killed!" Donel slammed him to the floor, knocking him out, and boarded the other ship, leaving the planet. Before Drexel could wake up, several battleship lasers fired at the planet, which exploded…and became no more… Krystal watched in horror as everything she loved was destroyed in a flash of white light, but couldn't weep for long, as a distress signal began transmitting to her ship, coming from Sauria. Krystal immediately flew towards Sauria, determined not to let another piece of her childhood become wiped off the face of the galaxy.

[End of Backstory]

Krystal broke down in tears as she finished her story, and cried for several minutes while Peppy tried to comfort her over the link…But unbeknownst to Krystal…

[Lylat System, Corneria-Fichina Route, 10 BLW?]

"Drexel…"

"Drexel…"

Drexel opened his eyes to find himself in an Arwing, looking around confused. "Well, well, the little tyke's woken up," a vaguely familiar voice said from above him. Drexel looked up and stared into the face of his father, who smiled at him gently. "I bet you're wondering what's going on, huh?" James asked him. Drexel nodded, wrapping his little tail around himself, scared. James chuckled, and said "Oh, don't worry, sport, Daddy's just taking you to Fichina where your Mommy's staying while Daddy goes off on important business. Uncle Peppy will take you to where your Mommy is when we land, ok?" Drexel nodded again, this time more eagerly. James pressed the com button to contact Peppy. "James McCloud to Peppy Hare, come in Peppy Hare," James said. "J…James?" Peppy shouted, surprised to hear his old friend's voice. Drexel cocked a head, noticing that he sounded older than he remembered, "Wh…what's going on?" "I'm bringing Drexel to Fichina, and I need you to get him to the hotel where Vixy and Fox are staying at, ok?" "Uhm…o-ok…" Peppy stammered, sounding close to tears, "C-Can you give me the l-landing coordinates?" "Affirmative," James said, and sent the landing coordinates to Peppy's computer, "We're about to land on Fichina now, so be ready." "R…Roger…Peppy Hare out…" Peppy half-sobbed, and the link broke. Drexel watched as they approached Fichina…and suddenly everything went white…

[Eladard Hotel, Fichina City, Planet Fichina, 8 ALW]

Drexel opened his eyes once more and found himself on a bed in a vaguely familiar hotel. He sat up and looked at himself, surprised to be his old age again instead of the barely-a-year-old self he was just 5 seconds ago. "Wha…what happened…?" he asked himself, and at that moment, he swore he heard an old voice say "Your ancestors were faithful to the Krazoa, Drexel McCloud, as are you…your family has been blessed with our protection as a result…" "Your…protection…?" he asked as the door opened and Peppy ran inside, followed by the two he recognized as the other members of the Star Fox team that he saw during the Lylat Wars. Peppy stopped and looked at Drexel, "How're you feeling, Drex?" he asked him. Drexel looked at Peppy and rubbed his eyes. "Uncle Peppy…?" he said disbelievingly. "So, this is Fox's bro?" the bird asked, and stared at Drexel, "Sure don't see the resemblance, myself." Drexel frowned. "Great, my brother has a smartass on his team," he snarked, which made the bird grin. "Ah, there we go," he chuckled, "Now I see it. Name's Falco Lombardi, and this guy here's Slippy Toad, and I assume you already know 'Uncle Peppy'." He snickered at that name. Drexel rolled his eyes at Falco, and looked over to Slippy. "Sorry about Falco," Slippy said, "He doesn't know when to turn off his sarcasm." "Speaking of my brother, where is he?" Drexel asked. "Still trying to keep the Great Fox together, I'm afraid," Peppy replied sadly, "We haven't been on any missions since the Lylat Wars, so the ships are in disrepair due to being unable to cover the maintenance costs." "Well…uhm, could you please not tell Fox about me…?" Drexel asked quietly, which surprised the three. "What? Why? If my brother suddenly appeared out of nowhere, I'd want to know about him too!" Falco shouted. "He's got enough on his plate, Falco," Drexel snapped, "He's got to deal with you, and the Great Fox, and an entire team, and the last thing he needs to worry about is my safety!" "Alright, we won't tell him…" Peppy began, but Drexel interrupted. "Also, if you see a blue vixen in a tribal-looking outfit, could you not tell her about me either…?" he asked even more quietly than before, "I…kind of want her to be independent for a while…" Peppy was confused at first, but then remembered that girl that had talked to him when he first went to Corneria. "You mean that Krystal girl…?" he asked her. Drexel nodded, "Yeah, her." "Alright, if I find her, I'll keep quiet about you unless she asks first," Peppy answered. "That's good enough," Drexel muttered, getting tired. "Rest for right now, Drexel," Peppy said, "I'll talk to General Pepper about signing you up for the Army, and Falco will get you back to Corneria and help you settle in for a bit." Falco nodded and added, "Yeah, Fox is a cool guy, and anyone related to him has to be decent." "Thanks guys…" Drexel muttered and fell asleep, as the three left the hotel.

(A/N: I try not to contradict the games, but I can't remember how long it was between the time Cerinia was destroyed and Krystal's prologue in Adventures, or the time between that and when we cut away to the Star Fox team. Read and review, and thanks to bryan mccloud for helping me figure out some more ideas to keep the story going. Maybe in the next chapter, the two paths will cross again?)


	6. Chapter 5: Reunions

[Corneria City, Planet Corneria, 9 ALW]

Drexel was racing through the city, trying to get to a nearby shelter. His annual Arwing training had been interrupted by the arrival of the Aparoids, and he was ordered to get to safety, and only to engage in combat in self-defense. Drexel looked up and noticed the Great Fox overhead, the Star Fox team doing their best to stop the invasion, but he wasn't filled with the joy he felt all those years ago, as this time, he was in actual danger. General Pepper had just become infected by the Aparoids, and it seemed that his brother's team had come too late. Unfortunately, all of this racing through his mind caused him to fail to see where he was going, and he tripped on a pothole created by laser fire. "OOF!" he cried out as he landed on his knee, skinning it. He grabbed his knee, fighting back tears, but before he could get up, he saw an Aparoid bearing down on him. He gasped and tried to back up, but he couldn't back away from the Aparoid fast enough. He saw it about to fire on him, and screamed as loud as he could, "FOOOOOX! KRYSTAAAAAL!" hoping one of them would hear him.

Meanwhile, Krystal was doing her best to destroy the Aparoids and keep them from doing more harm to the city. "They just keep coming!" she yelled, frustrated at the seemingly endless wave of enemies. She began to charge her laser when she heard a voice scream for her in her mind. She gasped, recognizing it as Drexel's voice. "I'M COMING, MASTER!" she yelled in reflex and immediately flew to where an Aparoid was about to shoot at a down civilian. She immediately killed the Aparoid, then flew in closer to see the civilian better. When she did, her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the civilian through her window. It was Drexel.

Drexel opened his eyes, looking around for the Aparoid who was about to kill him. Instead he saw an Arwing where the Aparoid was, and – could he be imagining it…? – Krystal was inside. They stared at each other, until Krystal suddenly spoke through the loudspeaker. "HEY!" she yelled, "Get to safety, this city's still under attack! If you keep sitting there, you might be attacked, and I can't always save your arse!" Drexel hastily nodded and scrambled to his feet, and began to run to a nearby bunker, but not before he could swear he heard Krystal say in his mind **"Don't you die on me, Drexel McCloud!"**

After the invading forces were destroyed with Star Wolf's help, Peppy was debriefing the team in lieu of General Pepper, who was still ill and possibly infected by the Aparoids. After the debriefing, Krystal walked up to Peppy. "Peppy, can we talk in private about something?" she asked him. Peppy was stunned, as Krystal never asked to see Peppy in private unless it was really important. "Uhm, sure Krystal…" he answered, and the two waited until the others had left the bridge until Peppy sat down again and asked her, "What did you want to know?" Krystal looked at him. "Did you know he was alive…?" she whispered softly. "Who…?" Peppy asked, confused, but then suddenly thought, **"Does she know about Drexel…?"** "You do know he's alive!" Krystal suddenly sobbed, "Why didn't you tell me?!" Peppy was shocked to hear her know who he was thinking about. "Well, uhm…" he stammered, "It's not easy to say, but…he told me not to tell you that I saw him…" Krystal closed her eyes, figuring he must've had his reasons, and this was not the right time to obsess over him, as they still had a war going on. "F…fine…" she said softly, and got up, "He must have his reasons…" She looked over at Peppy, and gave him a nod. "Good night," she said. "Good night, Krystal," Peppy said, "Get some rest, we've still got work to do tomorrow."

[Great Fox, over Planet Eladard, 10 ALW]

"Incoming Mission!" blared the robotic voice of ROB64, "All personnel please report to the bridge! I repeat, Incoming Mission! All personnel please report to the bridge!" Krystal was awakened from her restless sleep by this announcement, and she quickly prepared herself and began to make her way to the bridge. "What's the situation?" Krystal asked Falco, who she met in the hallway while on the way to the bridge. "More of Andross's troops are attacking another Freelancer base here in Eladard," Falco replied, serious for once, "We managed to get one of the Freelancers out of the base, and he's here on the Great Fox to help with getting rid of the attackers." "Who's the Freelancer?" Krystal asked him, and he shrugged. "I dunno, some guy named McCloud," he said nonchalantly, "My first thought was that kid who's related to Fox, but then I was like, 'Nah, there's probably a dozen McClouds in the army, could be anyone of them.'" Krystal's heart stopped for a second again, but she made sure not to let him see. Then they reached the bridge, and she stopped in her tracks as a chestnut fox whose red hair was poking out from under a beanie cap was talking to Peppy.

"Ah, good, the rest of the team are here," Peppy noticed, and the fox looked over at the door to the bridge. Krystal could only stare at the fox, Drexel, before walking up to him as though in a trance. "Hey Krystal, long time no see," Drexel said happily, but his smile immediately faded when Krystal slapped him in the face with enough force to send him crashing to the ground, making everyone else jump. "What the fuck?!" Falco exclaimed, "The fuck's wrong with you, Krystal?!" "What were you thinking, McCloud?!" Krystal yelled at Drexel, tears in her eyes, "Why did you make me think you were dead all this time? Why didn't you want me to know you were still alive?! I thought you liked me better than that!" And without another word she turned around, shoved Falco out of the way and left the bridge. "Sheesh, talk about hell having no fury like a woman scorned…" Falco muttered, holding his side. Fox bent over to help his brother up. "Uhm, sorry about Krystal," he apologized nervously, "She's kinda been acting weird lately…" "No, it's my fault…" Drexel muttered, "I guess we can just wait for her to calm down, and in the meantime, I'll examine this data I got from one of the enemy forces…"

"That complete arse!" Krystal yelled as she threw the dog tags unceremoniously back in their box. "I can't believe I was friends with him…I'd never have thought he'd be such an utter bastard! Leaving me to think he's dead, refusing to even contact me when I find he's still alive…Urgh, the whole McCloud family is just…Argh!" She sat on her bed and fumed, until she heard her mother's spirit, who guided her since she left Cerinia, in her mind. **"Krystal, Princess of Cerinia,"** Sapphire scolded her, **"You know better than to lose your cool like this! Especially to a long-time friend of yours!"** "Urgh, I knew you'd take his side, Mother…" Krystal groaned in disgust, "You heard Peppy, he said he didn't want me to know he was still alive!" **"Because he knew you could take care of yourself!" **Sapphire reminded her, **"He wanted you to be independent because you were beginning to depend on him to the point where you were unable to make any decisions for yourself!"** Krystal snorted, but deep down, she knew there was no point in arguing…at her mother's words, Krystal remembered that she would refuse to do anything unless Drexel wanted her to. She knew that her mother was right… **"Think about it, if the roles were reversed, what would you do?"** Sapphire asked her. Krystal sighed, and replied, "I'd do the same thing…I wouldn't want him to become dependent on me…he could take care of himself…" Krystal wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood up. "Perhaps I was being hard on him…" she said to herself, and walked back to the bridge where the others were close to the computer screen, Drexel having a knowing grimace on his face.

"Drexel…I'm sorry…" Krystal began, but Drexel interrupted her. "Krystal, I know you're sorry, and I forgive you, but this mission just became a whole lot more personal for the both of us," he said, pointing her to the screen. She looked at it and noticed the name of the leader of the forces. She gasped as the familiar name and face of a black wolf from her past was displayed on the screen.

Donel was alive, and he was commanding what was left of Andross's troops.

(A/N: Sorry it took a while, I just needed to get my creative juices flowing again, especially after reading excerpts from a terribly-written story made me question if my writing skills were any better than that. Anyways, you know the drill, read, review, try not to flame too much, etc. etc.)


	7. Chapter 6: The Third Emperor

"D-Donel…?!" Krystal stammered, "But wasn't he-?"

"He must've taken that spare ship after he knocked me out and left me to die on Cerinia," Drexel said sourly. Krystal curled her hands into fists. "That fucking wolf…" she seethed, "I always knew he was no good…" The news of Donel leaving Drexel to die on Cerinia angered her more than Drexel refusing to let her know he was still alive. At least Drexel had a good reason to hide from her. "And how do you know that pig is leading the Venomian Army this time?" she asked. Fox looked over at R.O.B and ordered "R.O.B, replay the decrypted video file." "Affirmative," ROB replied, and Peppy's hologram moved to make way for a holographic video…

[Mt. Andross, Simian Sector, Planet Venom, 9 ALW (immediately following the Aparoid Invasion)]

Donel walked up to the ruined base just barely concealed within the mountain. He frowned at the state of disrepair the facility was in. But he knew that the Venomian Army, despite being made up of bounty hunters and mercenaries, refused to move from this base, still dedicated to Andross's goal of conquering the Lylat System, even though, without a leader, they did not know their next move. As he walked inside, his frown turned into a sneer. His plan had worked out wondrously. He escaped Cerinia, and went into hiding for a few years, during which he prepared himself to lead the Venomian Army, and perhaps recruit his idol, Wolf O'Donnell, towards his cause. When he heard that Drexel McCloud had somehow survived, he was furious at first, but then he realized…perhaps he could succeed where Andross had failed…But no doubt he was about to cross paths with the Star Fox team, so he needed a way to split them apart to prevent them from foiling his plans…and by the time he found himself walking through the rusted doorway of the Venomian base, he had found one…he just needed time to put it into action…time and support…

As soon as he walked in, the mercenaries immediately trained their guns on the black wolf, who merely grinned and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "My good men, I do not wish to harm you…in fact, we share similar goals…" he said softly, causing the mercenaries to lower their weapons, but still eye him with suspicion. He walked to the front of the room, where a podium was erected with a microphone, and began to speak.

"Great forces of Venom and its glorious leader, Andross", he began, "For years, you were a great threat to Corneria and the Lylat System. When the Lylat Wars began, you were unstoppable. You destroyed Corneria City, wiped out all resistance, and victory was within reach. But then those accursed mercenaries known as Star Fox came and snatched that victory from your grasp, killing your glorious leader in the process. Many times have you tried to gain control of the system since, and many times you have failed, all because of that band of outcasts who call themselves mercenaries, but yet continue to ally themselves with Corneria. That will all change, now that I am here…" he looked at the mercenaries, who began to react with interest. He sneered at this. He had them right where he wanted them. "The great leader Andross underestimated Star Fox. His nephew, Oikonny, was vastly incompetent, unable to continue his uncle's legacy. But I, Donel, will not make their mistakes. I know that in order to defeat Star Fox, we must force them into submission, or, failing that, destroy them from the inside out. Once Star Fox is out of the way, nothing can stop us from taking over the Lylat System. Now, who's with me?!" At this, the mercenaries cheered, their passion for their cause rising once more. He continued to sneer. Everything was going according to plan, and now that he had the might of the Venomian forces under him, he could continue with his next phase. He wouldn't need Star Wolf for this, if things continued to go smoothly. "What are your orders, Donel, sir?" one of them yelled. "First, we must find the one named Drexel McCloud, and capture him before he makes it to Star Fox. If we fail, than I have another plan…"

[End of video]

"…If we fail, I have another plan…" Donel sneered before the hologram cut off. Krystal watched in horror and suspicion. "So, this is the third time Venom's gone up against us…" she mused. She didn't like the look on Donel's face during the video, suspecting that he might have some ulterior motives. "What does he mean, destroy us from the inside…?" "I don't know," Fox said, "but he's not going to tear us apart." "Donel doesn't know Drexel made it to you," Peppy reminded them, "He's still attacking the base." Drexel looked through the screen, and indeed the base was still under attack by the mercenaries. "There are some Freelancers inside, but the hangar doors are sealed shut," he mused. "Wait, if they're sealed shut, how'd you get out?" Krystal asked him. Drexel pointed towards one of the hangar doors, which had a massive hole in it. "I had to bomb the hangar door to get out." "So bomb all the hangar doors, how hard is that?" Falco suggested. "Falco, it's not that easy. We're not supposed to damage our own bases. I'm already being court-martialed for the door I bombed, and even though Peppy's defending me due to it being an emergency, I'm still looking at a 50% penalty off of my mission completion payments to pay for it, at the very least," Drexel told him curtly, which made Falco back off, "No, what I'm going to do is I'm going to go back inside and try to find the source of the virus, so I can get rid of it, and allow the hangar doors to open again. Though I'm gonna need someone to cover for me while I head back in and fight my way to the control room." "I'll go," Krystal volunteered. Drexel looked like he was about to protest, but Fox stepped in. "She's right, Drexel, if anyone can help you out on this mission, she can," he reminded him, surprising both Drexel and Krystal, "Krystal, you cover for Drexel until he's inside the base, and then once he's in, fly inside and help him get to the control room, as their goal is apparently to capture him, and we can't have that. Once the virus is gone, and the Freelancers are out and defending the base, both of you report back here as fast as you can. Move out!" Drexel and Krystal nodded and ran towards their ships.

Once the two are gone, Fox rounds on the other 3. "Why didn't you guys tell me my brother was alive?!" he said sharply, looking like he was fighting back tears. "Look, Fox, Drex told us not to tell you," Falco said, shocked at his leader's sudden change in attitude. "Why?!" Fox yelled, "Why would he want to hide from me?! We're the only family we have!" "And that's why he told us not to tell you, Fox…" Peppy said sadly, "He wanted you to focus on keeping the Lylat System safe, and not make any rash decisions because of him…" "Yeah, Fox." Slippy said, "He said you had enough on your plate following in your dad's footsteps." Fox turned away. **"Dammit, of course…"** Fox cursed in his head. Drexel always had this way of making Fox mad at being unable to be mad at him. "Can…can you at least tell me what had happened since I last saw him…?" he asked Peppy, who began to recite the story that Krystal had told him the night before…

"…So, Krystal's his slave or something?" Fox asked when the story was finished. "She was," Peppy said, "I'm not sure if either of them wants to continue that now." "What? Why?" Fox asked, surprised. "Because of you, Fox," Falco said, "I wasn't around, but I can definitely tell that Krystal's got the hots for you, but she also has the hots for Drexel, and Drexel looks like the kind of guy who'd let someone he loved be with someone else if he felt it made her happy." Fox was silent. "Actually, come to think of it, how come you've never actually hooked up with her?" Falco asked, "She's definitely come on to you, and from what Peppy said, you turned into a total poonhound when you first saw her on Sauria." "B…Because she's too young for me," Fox said. "Think about it. When we were facing off against Andross, Drexel was probably around 11 years old, and Krystal looks the same age as him. As much as I want to pursue a relationship, I feel weird thinking of the two of us together, and I feel like a dirty old man whenever I think of the two of us getting close." As he said this, his face was red, "I'd just…I'd just feel better about being in a relationship if me and someone her own age were in a relationship with her." "So, wait, do I hear threesome, here?" Falco snarked. "No Falco," Fox said, rolling his eyes, "I'm just saying, if Drexel wants to continue his relationship with Krystal, and Krystal wanting the same, and both of them were ok with me sharing her with Drexel, I'd feel a bit better, y'know?" Before anyone could react, they noticed the hangar doors opening and the Freelancers coming out to take on the Venomians attacking the base.

Drexel slumped into a chair in the control room, having finally managed to delete the virus and activate the hanger doors. He panted, tired from the ordeal of his day. "Finally…" he gasped as he heard the Freelancers quickly dispatching the enemies both inside and outside of the base. He heard a giggle and felt Krystal lay on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Why, Master, I didn't know you were so good at this," she purred seductively, making him blush. "K…Krystal, what…?" he stammered, looking at her. Krystal pouted. "What, can't I congratulate my Master on a job well done?" she asked, "Especially after I haven't seen my Master in so long…?" His face turned even redder, which made her giggle again, "Oh, I'm just kidding, Master. But it has been awhile…" she said softly, leaning forward before suddenly kissing him deeply, holding him close to her. He blushed at first, but eventually returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Unfortunately, their moment wouldn't last long as Falco suddenly piped up on the communicator, "Hey lovebirds, Fox told you to get back up here pronto when you accomplished your mission. You wanna catch up, do it up here." Krystal groaned and replied "Alright, alright, we're coming," before getting up off of Drexel's lap, "Falco always ruins it for me…" "I…I thought you loved Fox," Drexel stuttered, getting up. Krystal sighed. "Yeah, but he always skirts around the issue whenever I ask about a relationship," she said, "It just makes me wonder if he's even interested…besides, I still love you, Master." She smiled again, but this time it was a shy smile instead of a seductive one, and the two made their way back to their ships, heading back to the Great Fox.

As soon as they got back to the bridge, Fox walked up to him. "Drexel, I want you on this team," he said sternly, "And you're joining this team even if you have to leave the Freelancers." Drexel stepped back, surprised. "Well, I can still be a Freelancer and be on the team, but why the sudden declaration?" he asked. "Because you're the only family I've got left, Drexel," Fox said, tears in his eyes again, "I need to make sure you're ok. Plus…plus Krystal needs someone her own age to love…" Krystal was horrified at this. "You…you don't…?" she stammered. "I do, Krystal," Fox replied, "but I'd feel much better about being in a relationship with you if I shared you with Drexel. We're 7 years apart, Krystal, surely you know that." Krystal was quiet at this, thinking, but eventually nodded. "Alright, it's not like I could choose between you two anyway." Fox smiled, and then tossed Drexel a uniform similar to his, with the Star Fox logo emblazoned on it. "You'll be the Freelancer for Star Fox, Drexel. That way you can go on your missions when we're not on a mission ourselves. Might help us from being in a position like we were when I first went to Sauria…" "Yeah," Drexel said, looking at the outfit, "speaking of which, did you get this place repaired after the Aparoids attacked?" Fox shook his head, "No, but the last thing General Pepper did before he stepped down as General due to his Aparoid-causing illness was commission us a ship that replicated the original." Drexel nodded, but then remembered Donel's video. "You know what this means, right?" he asked the team, which all nodded. They knew that now that Drexel was part of the team, Donel was gonna exact his Plan B, and they had to be ready for when it came.

[Mount Andross]

Donel frowned at the news the commander gave him. Drexel had managed to join up with the Star Fox team, and thus he would be impossible to hold for ransom. But then he grinned. He had always wanted to exact his Plan B anyway. "Get your best telepaths," Donel ordered, "It's time to build the device…" He sneered as he imagined his plan. Those fools relied on the Krazoa to survive…perhaps he could use their religious beliefs to his advantage…


End file.
